Inventory Updates: McKay Lodge

 

On December 11, 2020 the Heritage Calgary board approved the following site to be updated to the Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources.


John A. Tweddle Residence

McKay Lodge - 1016 19 AV SE (Ramsay)
Year Built: 1911

Evaluated as a City Wide Historic Resource

McKay Lodge possesses style value as an excellent variant of the Foursquare style that was popular at the time of its construction. (Style Value, Community Significance)

The house has person significance through owner and longtime resident Robert J. McKay, a Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) locomotive engineer who served as chairman and chief engineer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers’ Calgary local. He was also an elder of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in nearby Inglewood. (Person Value, Community Significance)

McKay negotiated grievances for his union, and members who required his help met with him at his residence. (Activity Value, Community Significance)

As an apartment house, McKay Lodge provided affordable housing for working-class families on a street along one of the Calgary Municipal Railway’s streetcar lines. Many occupants worked for nearby industrial employers, including the Canadian Pacific Railway. Streetcars provided occupants with a reliable, affordable option to commute to their places of work. (Activity Value, Community Significance)